§18.41.1ὅτι φησὶν ὁ Πολύβιος ἐν τῷ ιη# λόγῳ. ὅτι Ἄτταλος ἐτελεύτησε τὸν βίον· ὑπὲρ οὗ δίκαιόν ἐστι, καθάπερ περὶ τῶν ἄλλων εἰθίσμεθα ποιεῖν, καὶ περὶ τούτου νῦν ἐπιφθέγξασθαι τὸν ἁρμόζοντα λόγον. §18.41.2ἐκείνῳ γὰρ ἐξ ἀρχῆς ἄλλο μὲν οὐδὲν ἐφόδιον ὑπῆρξε πρὸς βασιλείαν τῶν ἐκτός, πλοῦτος δὲ μόνον, §18.41.3ὃς μετὰ νοῦ μὲν καὶ τόλμης χειριζόμενος ὡς ἀληθῶς μεγάλην παρέχεται χρείαν πρὸς πᾶσαν ἐπιβολήν, ἄνευ δὲ τῶν προειρημένων τοῖς πλείστοις κακῶν παραίτιος πέφυκε γίνεσθαι καὶ συλλήβδην ἀπωλείας. §18.41.4καὶ γὰρ φθόνους γεννᾷ καὶ ἐπιβουλὰς καὶ πρὸς διαφθορὰν σώματος καὶ ψυχῆς μεγίστας ἔχει ῥοπάς.
Polybius says in the eighteenth book that Attalus ended his life; concerning whom it is just, as we are accustomed to do in the case of others, to utter the fitting tribute now. — For to him, from the beginning, no other external resource for kingship was available, but only wealth, — which, if administered with intellect and courage, indeed provides great utility for every enterprise, but without the aforementioned qualities is naturally the cause of evils to most men, and in short, of destruction. — For it generates envy and plots, and has the greatest tendency towards the corruption of body and soul.
ὀλίγαι δέ τινές εἰσι ψυχαὶ παντάπασιν αἱ ταῦτα δυνάμεναι διωθεῖσθαι τῇ τοῦ πλούτου δυνάμει. §18.41.5διὸ καὶ τοῦ προειρημένου ἄξιον ἀγασθῆναι τὴν μεγαλοψυχίαν, ὅτι πρὸς οὐδὲν τῶν ἄλλων ἐπεβάλετο χρήσασθαι τοῖς χορηγίοις ἀλλὰ πρὸς βασιλείας κατάκτησιν, οὗ μεῖζον ἢ κάλλιον οὐδὲν οἷόν τʼ ἐστὶν οὐδʼ εἰπεῖν· §18.41.6ὃς τὴν ἀρχὴν ἐνεστήσατο τῆς προειρημένης ἐπιβολῆς οὐ μόνον διὰ τῆς εἰς τοὺς φίλους εὐεργεσίας καὶ χάριτος, ἀλλὰ καὶ διὰ τῶν κατὰ πόλεμον ἔργων. §18.41.7νικήσας γὰρ μάχῃ Γαλάτας, ὃ βαρύτατον καὶ μαχιμώτατον ἔθνος ἦν τότε κατὰ τὴν Ἀσίαν, ταύτην ἀρχὴν ἐποιήσατο καὶ τότε πρῶτον αὑτὸν ἔδειξε βασιλέα. §18.41.8τυχὼν δὲ τῆς τιμῆς ταύτης καὶ βιώσας ἔτη δύο πρὸς τοῖς ἑβδομήκοντα, τούτων δὲ βασιλεύσας τετταράκοντα καὶ τέτταρα, σωφρονέστατα μὲν ἐβίωσε καὶ σεμνότατα πρὸς γυναῖκα καὶ τέκνα, §18.41.9διεφύλαξε δὲ τὴν πρὸς πάντας τοὺς συμμάχους καὶ φίλους πίστιν, ἐναπέθανε δʼ ἐν αὐτοῖς τοῖς καλλίστοις ἔργοις, ἀγωνιζόμενος ὑπὲρ τῆς τῶν Ἑλλήνων ἐλευθερίας. §18.41.10τὸ δὲ μέγιστον, τέτταρας υἱοὺς ἐν ἡλικίᾳ καταλιπὼν οὕτως ἡρμόσατο τὰ κατὰ τὴν ἀρχὴν ὥστε παισὶ παίδων ἀστασίαστον παραδοθῆναι τὴν βασιλείαν.
Indeed, there are altogether very few souls that are able to repel these things by the power of wealth. — Therefore, it is worthy to admire the magnanimity of the aforementioned man, because he did not undertake to use his resources for any other thing but for the acquisition of kingship, than which it is not possible to speak of anything greater or nobler. — He laid the beginning of the aforementioned enterprise not only through beneficence and goodwill towards his friends, but also through his achievements in war. — For having defeated in battle the Galatians, who were at that time the most formidable and warlike nation in Asia, he made this the foundation of his power, and then for the first time showed himself to be a king. — And having obtained this honor, and having lived seventy-two years, of which he reigned forty-four, he lived most temperately and worthily towards his wife and children; — he preserved his good faith towards all his allies and friends, and died in the midst of his noblest deeds, fighting for the liberty of the Greeks. — And what is greatest, having left four sons of full age, he so regulated the affairs of his kingdom that the kingship was handed down to children's children without discord.